Apparatus and method for configuring a control message in a broadcast system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and a method for providing information used for generating and consuming multimedia content in a broadcast system supporting a multimedia service based on an Internet protocol are provided. The method includes composing a message type field containing information indicating on a type of control information contained in the control message, composing a length field containing information on the length of the control message, composing optional fields having different values according to the type of the control information, and composing a payload field containing content of the control information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application of prior application Ser.No. 16/944,472, filed on Jul. 31, 2020, which application is acontinuation application of prior application Ser. No. 16/510,249, filedon Jul. 12, 2019, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,771,826 on Sep.8, 2020, which application is a continuation application of priorapplication Ser. No. 13/980,443, filed on Jul. 18, 2013, which hasissued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,356,453, on Jul. 16, 2019, which is the U.S.National Stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of an Internationalapplication filed on Jan. 19, 2012 and assigned application numberPCT/KR2012/000505, which claimed the benefit of a Korean patentapplication filed on Jan. 19, 2011 in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice and assigned Serial number 10-2011-0005625, and of a Koreanpatent application filed on Oct. 13, 2011 in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office and assigned Serial number 10-2011-0104892, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method of configuringa control message in a broadcast system. More particularly, the presentdisclosure relates to an apparatus and a method of configuring a controlmessage in a broadcast system that supports an Internet protocol-basedmultimedia service.

BACKGROUND

A broadcast network uses the Moving Picture Experts Group-2 TransportStream (MPEG-2 TS) for delivering multimedia content according to therelated art. The MPEG-2 TS is used as a representative transmissiontechnique for delivering a bit stream in which a plurality of broadcastprograms (a plurality of encoded video bit streams) can be transmittedwithout having an error. For example, the MPEG-2 TS is appropriate fordigital TV broadcasting, or the like, in the multimedia era.

FIG. 1 illustrates a layer structure for supporting the MPEG-2 TSaccording to the related art.

Referring to FIG. 1, the layer for supporting the MPEG-2 TS includes amedia coding layer 110, a sync layer 120, a delivery layer 130, anetwork layer 140, a data link layer 150, and a physical layer 160.

The media coding layer 110 and the sync layer 120 are formed of a formatwhich is easily usable as a basic unit of recording or transmission ofmedia data. Further, the delivery layer 130, the network layer 140, thedata link layer 150, and the physical layer 160 record a data block (forexample, “AU”) configured by the sync layer 120 in a recording medium orconfigure a multimedia frame for transmission. The configured multimediaframe is delivered to a subscriber's terminal, or the like, through apredetermined network.

The sync layer 120 is composed of a fragment block 122 and an accessunit 124, and the delivery layer 130 is composed of an MPEG-2 TS/MP4132, an RTP/HTTP 134, and a UDP/TCP 136.

However, the MPEG-2 TS has several limits in supporting a multimediaservice. That is, the MPEG-2 TS has the limitations of unidirectionalcommunication, non-efficiency in transmission due to a fixed frame size,and a generation of an unnecessary overhead while delivering data byusing a transmission protocol and an Internet Protocol (IP) specializedto an audio/video.

The MPEG newly suggests the MPEG Media Transport (MMT) standard as oneof the multimedia transmission techniques for supporting the multimediaservice based on the MPEG technique. The MMT standard is suggested bythe MPEG in order to overcome the limits of the MPEG-2 TS.

The MMT standard may be applied in order to efficiently deliver hybridcontents through heterogeneous networks. Here, the hybrid contents referto a set of contents having combined multimedia elements, such as avideo/audio/application, or the like. The heterogeneous network means anetwork in which a broadcast network, a communication network, or thelike, are mixed.

In addition, the MMT standard defines a transmission technique morefriendly to the Internet Protocol (IP) which serves as a basic techniquefor transmitting the multimedia.

The MMT standard typically proves to be an efficient MPEG transmissiontechnique in a multimedia service environment, varying based on the IP;continuous research and standardization thereof have progressed.

The MMT standard requires a preparation of a method of providing anefficient MPEG transmission technique in a recent multimedia serviceenvironment aiming to provide a hybrid network and hybrid contents.

Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for configuring acontrol message to be used in a broadcast system that supports anIP-based multimedia service.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentdisclosure is to provide a method of providing control information forvarious types of multimedia contents in a broadcast system supporting anInternet Protocol-based multimedia service.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method ofproviding control information for consuming a hybrid multimedia contentin a broadcast system supporting an Internet Protocol-based multimediaservice.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method ofproviding information on a hybrid multimedia content in consideration ofcharacteristics of heterogeneous networks in a broadcast systemsupporting an Internet Protocol-based multimedia service.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofconfiguring a control message to provide information used for generatingand consuming multimedia content in a broadcast system supporting amultimedia service based on an Internet protocol is provided. The methodincludes composing a message type field containing information on a typeof control information contained in the control message, composing alength field containing information on a length of the control message,composing optional fields having different values according to the typeof the control information and composing a payload field containingcontents of the control information.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, anapparatus for configuring a control message to provide information usedfor generating and consuming multimedia content in a broadcast systemsupporting a multimedia service based on an Internet protocol isprovided. The apparatus includes a multimedia controller configured tocompose a message type field containing information on a type of controlinformation contained in the control message, to compose a length fieldcontaining information on a length of the control message, to composeoptional fields having different values according to the type of thecontrol information, and to compose a payload field containing contentsof the control information.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to configureand provide a control message for consuming a hybrid service or a hybridcontent, thereby achieving an effect of efficiently supporting anefficient Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transmission in amultimedia environment.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide ahybrid service or hybrid content through heterogeneous networks usingcontrol information, thereby achieving an effect of supporting anefficient MPEG transmission in a multimedia environment.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a layer structure for supporting theMoving Picture Experts Group-2 Transport Stream (MPEG-2 TS) according tothe related art;

FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an MPEG Media Transport(MMT) service by a broadcast system based on the MMT standard for anapplication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a layer structure for delivering amultimedia frame involving multi-services/content in the MMT systemthrough heterogeneous networks according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an MMT C.1 according toan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5A to 5E are each a diagram illustrating a method of delivering anMMT C.1 message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;and

FIGS. 6A to 6E are each a diagram illustrating a configuration of aLayer C1 message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The same reference numerals are used to represent the same elementsthroughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functionsand constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

The Moving Pictures Media Transport (MMT) standard described herein willbe described in terms of examples, but the present disclosure is notlimited thereto, and may be applied to another broadcast technique.

Further, in embodiments of the present disclosure to be described below,a layer structure defined in the MMT standard will be described.Embodiments of the present disclosure to be described below suggest aconfiguration of a control information message for multimedia content. Alayer for providing the control information message in the layerstructure defined in the MMT standard will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an MMT service by abroadcast system based on the MMT standard (hereinafter, referred to asan “MMT system”) for an application according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is assumed that content for the MMT serviceincludes Ultra High Definition (UHD), Video On Demand VOD, livestreaming, a file, a widget, an E-book, metadata, or the like. However,the MMT service may target all of the contents expressible with anelectrical signal as a matter of course.

Multimedia data according to each of the various contents may beencapsulated by a predetermined format by an MMT encapsulator andconfigured as a multimedia frame, to be delivered in a hybrid manner toa subscriber's terminal through heterogeneous networks. Here, theheterogeneous network means a network of a transmission environment inwhich a broadcast network and an Information Technology (IT) network aremixed.

The subscriber's terminal receiving the multimedia frame hybriddelivered through the heterogeneous networks extracts multimedia datacorresponding to a desired content from the multimedia frame, and mayprovide a user with a combined video/audio/application based on theextracted multimedia data. In this case, each of the multimedia datacorresponding to the video/audio/application provided for a specificcontent is defined as an “MMT asset”. Further, the subscriber's terminalis meant to include most of the terminals capable of supporting amultimedia service. A representative example of the subscriber terminalmay include an IP TV or a smart phone.

Accordingly, the MMT service provides high quality content delivery,hybrid content support, hybrid network support, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a layer structure for delivering amultimedia frame involving multi-services/contents in the MMT systemthrough heterogeneous networks according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the MMT system for composing the multimedia frameand delivering the multimedia frame includes a media coding layer 310,an encapsulation layer (hereinafter, referred to as “Layer E”) 320,delivery layers (hereinafter, referred to as “Layer D”) 330 and 390, anetwork layer 340, a data link layer 350, a physical layer 360, andcontrol layers (hereinafter, referred to as “Layer C”) 370 and 380.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, multimedia datainvolving multi-contents or multi-services is generated by the mediacoding layer 310 and the Layer E 320, so that the two layers may beconsidered as constituents of a “multimedia data generator”. Further,the multimedia frame may include Layer D 330, so that the Layer D 330may be considered as a constituent of a “multimedia frame compositionunit”. That is, the Layer D 330 corresponding to the multimedia framecomposition unit configures header information with information on aframe identifier dividing the multimedia frame, and information demandedfor measuring a connection service quality in the network layer andperformance of the network between terminals, and combines the headerinformation with the multimedia data to compose the multimedia frame.Further, information related to a generation, a consumption, and atransmission of the hybrid contents may be provided by the Layers C 370and 380, so that the Layers C 370 and 380 may be considered asconstituents of a “multimedia controller”.

Further, as described above, the layers may include three descriptionareas, the Layer E 320, the Layers D 330 and 390, and the Layers C 370and 380. The Layer E 320 serves to generate hybrid contents, the LayersD 330 and 390 serve to efficiently deliver the generated contentsthrough heterogeneous networks, and the Layers 370 and 380 serve toperform a general control for a management of consumption and deliveryof the hybrid contents.

The Layer E 320 may include MMT E.3 322, MMT E.2 324, and MMT E.1 326.MMT E.3 322 generates a fragment which is the most basic unit for theMMT service with the coded multimedia data provided from the mediacoding layer 310 as an input. The MMT E.2 324 may generate an AccessUnit (AU) for the MMT service by using the fragment generated by the MMTE.3 322. The MMT E.1 326 may generate a format for generating, storing,and delivering the hybrid contents by combining or dividing the AUsprovided by the MMT E.2 324.

The Layer D includes MMT D.1 332, MMT D.2 334, and MMT D.3 390. The MMTD.1 332 serves as an Application Protocol (AP) performing a similar roleto that of an RTP or an HTTP, the MMT D.2 334 serves as a network layerprotocol performing a similar role to that of an UDP or a TCP, and theMMT D.3 390 performs an operation for an optimization between therespective layers configuring the Layer E 320 and the respective layersconfiguring the Layer D 330.

The Layer C includes MMT C.1 370 and MMT C.2 380. The MMT C.1 370provides information related to the generation and the consumption ofthe hybrid contents, and the MMT C.2 380 provides information related tothe delivery of the hybrid contents.

Next, a structure of the MMT C.1 of the Layer C to which the embodimentof the present disclosure is applied will be described in detail.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an MMT C.1 according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the MMT C.1 provides information on hybridmultimedia contents and information used when the hybrid multimediacontents are consumed. In the MMT standard, the hybrid multimediacontents may be configured in a form of an MMT asset or an MMT package,and the MMT package may include a plurality of MMT assets.

Further referring to FIG. 4, the MMT C.1 includes an MMT package/assetinformation signaling unit 410 and an MMT configuration informationsignaling unit 420. The MMT package/asset information signaling unit 410may include an MMT Package/Asset Information Management Table (MIMT)411, an MMT Package Configuration Information Table (MPCIT) 412, an MMTAsset Configuration Information Table (MACIT) 413, an MMT AccessInformation Table (MAIT) 414, a Specific Function Information Table(SFIT) 415, and a Device Capability Information Table (DCIT) 416.

The MPCIT 412 contains information on an MMT asset, such as a contentname, a content provider, a content form, and an application or aspecification of hardware demanded for consuming content. The MACIT 413contains information on an MMT package, such as package information, apackage provider, and asset information configuring a package. The MAIT414 includes information allowing access to the MMT asset or the MMTpackage. The SFIT 415 contains information about a systemcharacteristic, such as device management or digital rights management.The DCIT 416 contains function information of a device recommended ordemanded for the consumption of the MMT asset or the MMT package. TheMIMT 411 contains table management information, such as versioninformation and a renewal period for the five tables.

The MMT configuration information signaling unit 420 serves to deliverthe MMT configuration information 430. The MMT configuration informationmay contain package information 431 on the MMT package, transportcharacteristics 432 which are information to be considered when the MMTpackage is transported, and composition information necessary when apackage or an asset within the package, which is required when the MMTpackage or the asset within the MMT package is displayed on a screen ofthe device, is provided on the screen of the device. The transportcharacteristic 432 may contain information on a transport rate and anerror rate, or a quality of experience. The composition information maycontain full composition information providing all of the compositioninformation within a consumption time when the MMT package or the MMTasset is consumed at once, and partial composition information 434delivered with several pieces for various compositions within theconsumption time. The partial composition information 434 may includevarious commands, such as play, stop, rewind, show up, or the like.Control information provided from the MMT package/asset informationsignaling unit 410 may be delivered through various delivery mechanisms440.

FIGS. 5A to 5E are each a diagram illustrating a method of delivering anMMT C.1 message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the figure illustrates a delivery of the MMTpackage/asset information and MMT configuration information(hereinafter, referred to as a Layer C1 message), which are delivered bythe MMT C.1 to a receiving party through the TCP/IP protocol. Themechanism of delivering the Layer C1 messages through the TCP/IP doesnot require a separate protocol, and is a delivery mechanism appropriateto a case where a server providing the MMT asset/package is directlyconnected with a client through the Internet according to an embodimentof the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the figure illustrates a delivery of the Layer C1message in an UDP/IP environment, and illustrates a mechanismappropriate to be used in an environment, in which it is difficult touse the TCP which is stable and has no error, but has many overheads, oran IP-based unidirectional delivery according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5C, the figure illustrates a delivery of the Layer C1message through a D2 protocol provided as a transport protocol in theMMT system. The Layer D is a layer serving the delivery, and includes aD1 payload layer and a D2 protocol layer. The D1 payload layer is alayer configuring a payload so as to deliver the MMT package/asset orthe Layer C1 message regardless of various transport protocols, and theD2 protocol layer is a layer enabling the D1 payload to be appropriatelydelivered by providing an appropriate protocol considering the IPenvironment or the transmission environment. FIG. 5C illustrates adelivery of the Layer C1 message contained in a payload of a packetprovided from the D2 protocol layer, and is a mechanism appropriate to acase where it is necessary to deliver the Layer C1 message through thesame logic channel through which the multimedia content is deliveredaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5D, the figure illustrates a mechanism of deliveringthe Layer C1 message which is contained in the D1 payload, and is amechanism appropriate when it is necessary to immediately consume theLayer C1 message, for example, a case when partial compositioninformation on the MMT package/asset, or the like, is deliveredaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5E, the figure illustrates an example in which theLayer C1 message may be delivered regardless of the IP environment orthe broadcast environment, such as the MPEG-2 TS, and illustrates thatthe Layer C1 message may be contained in a protocol, such as an SDP, tobe delivered according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A to 6E are each a diagram illustrating a configuration of aLayer C1 message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure

Referring to FIG. 6A, the figure illustrates a general structure of theLayer C1 message. A message type field 601 is a field through whichwhether contents delivered by the Layer C1 message is the MMTpackage/asset information, the MMT configuration information, the MMTfull composition information, or the MMT partial composition informationmay be notified. About 2 bits are sufficient for a length of the messagetype field 601, but the length of the message type field 601 may be 1byte considering an addition of the Layer C1 message, and the length ofthe message type is not limited in the present disclosure. A lengthfield 602 is a field notifying of an entire length of the Layer C1message, and may have a variable length according to a header of theLayer C1 message and a length of the payload. That is, the Layer C1message having a short length may set to have a short length of thelength field 602, and the Layer C1 message having a long length may setto have a long length of the length field 602. An optional field 603 isnot a field optionally provided in the Layer C1 message, but a fieldproviding other values which the Layer C1 message may have according tothe type of message, which will be described in detail with reference to6B to 6E. A payload field 604 is a field delivering actual contents ofthe Layer C1 message according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the figure illustrates a case in which theoptional field includes table information 611 notifying of a type oftable contained in the payload and delivered in a case where a messagetype of the Layer C1 message is the MMT package/asset information. Forexample, in a case where a table information field 611 is 6 bits, thatis, a value of the table information field 611 is, e.g., 111000, it isnotified that the MIMT, the MPCIT, and the MACIT are contained in thepayload of the Layer C1 message and the MAIT, the SFIT, and the DCIT donot exist, so that a receiving unit may determine whether a necessarytable is included in the payload in advance, thereby decreasing anunnecessary operation of the receiving unit. In the above description,existence or nonexistence of the table is only notified through theoptional field through a binary expression, but a table identifier,version information, or the like, may be additionally delivered, andwhen the additional information is further contained, the length of theoptional field is increased according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6C, the figure illustrates a configuration of theoptional field in a case where the message type of the Layer C1 messageis the configuration information on the MMT package/asset. Theconfiguration information is information connected with a specific MMTpackage/asset so that the configuration information essentially requiresa package/asset ID 621, and may notify of configuration information 622on the configuration information delivered by the payload, that is, aversion thereof. When the Layer C1 message is delivered together withthe MMT package or asset corresponding to the configuration informationas illustrated in FIG. 6C or 6D, the package/asset ID may be omittedaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6D, the figure illustrates a configuration of theoptional field in a case where the message type of the Layer C1 messageis the full composition information of the MMT package/asset. Thecomposition information is information connected with a specific MMTpackage/asset, so that the composition information essentially requiresa package/asset ID 631, and may notify of information 632 on thecomposition information delivered by the payload, that is, a version.When the Layer C1 message is delivered together with the MMT package orasset corresponding to the composition information, as illustrated inFIG. 6C or 6D, the package/asset ID may be omitted according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6E, the figure illustrates a configuration of theoptional field in a case where the message type of the Layer C1 messageis the partial composition information of the MMT package/asset. Thepartial composition information is information connected with a specificMMT package/asset, so that the composition information may require apackage/asset ID 641, but may be delivered together with the MMTpackage/asset according to a characteristic of the partial compositioninformation, so that the package/asset ID 641 may be omitted. A nexttransmission time 642 notifies, in advance, of a time to receive partialcomposition information after currently received partial compositioninformation, thereby enabling the receiving unit to perform anappropriate operation. Further, the next transmission time 642 may alsonotify of a transmission period of the partial composition information,not a specific time representing a next transmission time. Further, acommand may be delivered according to the characteristic of the partialcomposition information, so that the optional field may include a CRCfield 643 for checking validity of the command according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Various types of information may be contained in the payload of thepartial composition information. The payload of the partial compositioninformation may include a separate scene command of the MPEG LightApplication Scene Representation (LASER) and the 3GPP Binary Format ForScenes (BIFS), which are scene composition technologies, commands (suchas play, stop, replace, show up, appear, and disappear), may be directlydefined and used, and a scene composition for a relatively short lengthhaving an XML or SMIL format may be contained in the payload of thepartial composition information.

The contents of the payload of the full composition information may beexpressed with SMIL, XML, and HTML, and may contain information usablefor composing a content for a consumption time of the MMT package/asset.

The MMT configuration information includes contents defined in the LayerE performing a packing of the hybrid multimedia contents in the MMTsystem.

Next, a detailed configuration of the table related to the MMTpackage/asset information according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure will be described in detail.

Table 1 illustrates the composition of the MIMT.

TABLE 1 Name Description Data Type MIMT MMT Package/Asset InformationManagement Table id Unique identifier MIMT version Version of MIMT Thenewer version overrides the older one as soon as it has been received.MIMT MIMT transmission information having StartTime or TransmissionRetransmission Period info StartTime Starting Time of MIMT TransmissionRetransmission Retransmission time of MIMT Transmission Period EventInformation for Event Reception Reception In case of delivery overBroadcast channel, IPBroadcastDelivery specifies the address informationfor receiving Event. In case of delivery over Interaction channel,PollURL specify address information for polling event and ‘PollPeriod’specifics the associated polling period. Contains the followingelements: IPBroadcastDelivery PollURL PollPeriod IPBroadcastDeliveryProvides IP multicast address and port number for reception of Eventover the broadcast channel. Contains the following attributes: portaddress port Event delivery UDP destination port number; delivery overBroadcast Channel address Event delivery IP multicast address; deliveryover Broadcast Channel PollURL URL through which a client can poll Eventover Interaction Channel. PollPeriod While polling the events, the NTCis expected to poll every “PollPeriod” seconds. Information Informationtable info has the version information of each 1 to N Table InfoInformation table along with MIMT. It have Information Table ID,version, transmission time, repetition period, Location and 2^(nd)location Information Information table Identification table ID VersionVersion of Information Table Transmission Transmission Time of IT TimeRepetition Repetition Period of IT Period Location Address where aclient gets IT 2^(nd) location Alternative Address where a client getsIT TableFiltercode Specifies the criteria for grouping Tables If severalcriteria for grouping are present at the same time, all those groupingcriteria apply to the set of Information tables. GenreGroupingCriteriaContains the following criteria: Package ID, Asset ID Genre LocationsTime Terminal Capability And so on Note: The above list is not limited.PrivateExt An element serving as a container for proprietary orapplication-specific extensions <proprietary Proprietary orapplication-specific elements that are not elements> defined here

The MIMT provides information on information tables necessary forconsuming the package/asset. A quantity of information necessary forconsuming one or a small number of MMT packages may be small, but in acase where the plurality of MMT packages is provided through a broadcastnetwork, the number of information tables providing the informationnecessary for consuming the MMT packages is increased. The MMT packageis a transmission and storage object of the hybrid multimedia contentsincluding various types of data, and may be, for example, music rankingcontents including an application program through which voting isavailable. The MMT asset is a logic or physical object indicating aprogram, or the like, included in the MMT package, and in the musicranking contents package, each of a broadcast image, a broadcast audio,and the application program, through which voting is available, may bethe MMT asset.

ID in Table 1, which is an identifier of the MIMT, may be a globallyunique identifier, may be unique only within a range of a providerproviding the MIMT, and may be unique only within a transmissionnetwork. As described above, a range of the validity of the MIMT may bedetermined according to the purpose of the use of the MIMT.

MIMT Transmission Info provides information necessary for delivering theMIMT, and has two sub elements of StartTime and Retransmission Period.StartTime provides an initial transmission time of the MIMT.Retransmission Period notifies of a period with an interval of thetransmission of the MIMT from the initial transmission time indicated byStartTime, to notify of information on a time at which a user's terminalis scheduled to receive the MIMT.

Event Reception provides information through which an event throughwhich a business operator providing the MIMT or a service provider maynotify the user's terminal of specific or arbitrary information isreceivable. The event may be delivered through a unidirectional channel,such as a terrestrial broadcast channel and a bidirectional channel,such as an Internet network, and thus the information, through which theevent is receivable through the unidirectional channel and thebidirectional channel, may be provided. Even Reception includesIPBroadcastDelivery, PollURL, and PollPeriod as sub elements.

IPbroadcastDelivery provides event transmission information through theunidirectional channel, and has a port and an address as attributes.Address provides information on an IP address through which the event isdelivered. The IP address may include a broadcast IP address, amulticast IP address, an IP address allocated by a service provider, orthe like. Port provides information on a port address through which adatagram in which the event is delivered in an IP packet streamspecified in the address is identifiable. The user's terminal mayreceive the event delivered through the unidirectional channel based onthe information provided in Port and Address. PollURL and PollPeriod areinformation through which the event is received through thebidirectional channel. PollURL provides address information, such asURL, through which a user's terminal can directly read the event, andPollperiod notifies of a time at which the event is renewed to notifythe user's terminal of a time at which the user's terminal is to receivea next event.

Information Table Info provides an identifier, a version, a transmissiontime, a repetition period, reception information, and second receptioninformation for other information tables connected with the MIMT toprovide information on the MMT package/asset. The user's terminal toconsume the MMT package/asset may receive other information tablesproviding information necessary for the consumption of the MMTpackage/asset by using Information Table Info. Information Table Infocontains information on one or more other information tables, and theinformation on the Information Table includes an identifier of ITprovided through InformationTableID, version information on aninformation table provided through Version, a transmission time of theinformation table provided through Transmission Time, a repetitiontransmission period of the information table provided through RepetitionPeriod, an address through which the information table is receivable,provided through Location, and another address, through which theinformation table is receivable, provided through the 2^(nd) location.The address may have different values according to an environment inwhich the information tables are delivered. For example, when theinformation tables are delivered through the MPEG-2 TS stream, theaddress may have a value provided for a channel reception in the TSsystem, when the information tables are delivered through the IPbroadcast network, the address may have an IP address and a port number,and when the information tables are delivered through the mobilecommunication network, the address may be information necessary for thechannel reception in the mobile communication network. In order toreceive the information table through the information provided by the2^(nd) location in a case where the information table cannot be receivedthrough the information provided by the Location (that is, in a casewhere information is obtained before the repetition period of theinformation table or it is impossible to directly access thetransmission network through which the information is delivered), theLocation and the 2^(nd) location are provided. For example, the Locationprovides information through which the information table is receivablethrough the broadcast channel, and 2^(nd) location provides an addressof a server capable of providing the information table so that theinformation table may be received by an appropriate method if necessary.

TableFilterCode provides criteria based on which the information tablesare selected according to predetermined criteria to be used. An exampleusable as the predetermined criteria, that is, Criteria, includes apackage ID, an asset ID, a genre, locations of the user's terminal, atime, a terminal capability, or the like. When TableFilterCode of theMMT provides a specific MMT package ID, the user's terminal may selectand receive only the information tables corresponding to the package ID,or use only the information tables corresponding to the package ID amongthe received information tables or display only the information tablescorresponding to the package ID among the received information tables tothe user in order to provide the MMT package information.

PrivateExt is an element used when a business operator, an MMT packageproducing company, or a producer producing the MIMT desires to providepredetermined information.

Table 2 represents the composition of the MPCIT.

TABLE 2 Name Description Data Type MPCIT MMT Package Configurationinformation id ID of MPCIT version Version of MPCIT The newer versionoverrides the older one as soon as it has been received. MPCIT MPCITtransmission information having StartTime or Transmission RetransmissionPeriod info StartTime Starting Time of MPCIT Transmission RetransmissionRetransmission time of MPCIT Period MMT Package ID The globally uniqueidentifier identifying MMT Package Package Type Allowed values are: 0 -unspecified 1 - Basic Video 2 - Basic Audio 3 - Rich Media 4 - ebook 5 -application 6 - Hybrid Package 7 - 255 reserved for future use Name Nameof the package Description Description, possibly in multiple languagesAudioLanguage Audio language used in Package TextLanguage Textuallanguage used in Package ParentalRating The ParentalRating of packageTargetUserProfile Profile attributes of the users whom the package istargeting at Required Device Required device Capability for Packageconsumption Capability List of Assets List of Assets which belongs to apackage It has Asset ID and MACIT info. Asset ID ASSET ID MACIT INFOInformation of MACIT ID and Address PrivateExt An element serving as acontainer for proprietary or application-specific extensions<proprietary Proprietary or application-specific elements that elements>are not defined in here.

The MPCIT is a table providing composition information for the MMTpackage. The information provided in the MPCIT is information on theMPCIT itself and composition information on the MMT package. Theinformation on the MPCIT itself may include an identifier (ID) of theMPCIT, a version of the MPCIT, and transmission information on the MACIT(MPCIT Transmission Info). The identifier of the MPCIT may be a globallyunique identifier, and may be unique only within a range of a providerproviding the MPCIT, or may be unique only within a transmissionnetwork. That is, a range of the validity of the MPCIT may be determinedaccording to the purpose of the use of the MPCIT. MPCIT TransmissionInfo provides information necessary for delivering the MPCIT, and hastwo sub elements of StartTime and Retransmission Period. StartTimeprovides an initial transmission time of the MPCIT, and Retransmissionperiod notifies of a period with an interval of the transmission of theMPCIT from the initial transmission time indicated by StartTime tonotify of information on a time at which a device is scheduled toreceive the MPCIT. The composition information on the MMT packageincludes an identifier, a type, a name, a description, voice informationand text information of the package, viewer protection, target userinformation, information on requirements of a terminal necessary forconsuming the MMT package, and information on assets composing the MMTpackage.

MMT Package ID is an identifier of the MMT package of which thecomposition information is provided by the MPCIT. MMP Package ID may beallocated by a producer of the MMT package, or may also be allocated bya service provider using the MMT package. Further, a range of validityof MMT Package ID may be globally unique, and may be unique for eachregion or each service provider. In the present disclosure, a system forallocating an identifier is not specifically suggested, but anidentifier using a random method capable of identifying the MMT packagemay also be provided through MMP Package ID.

PackageType notifies of the type of package from a point of view of acontent or a service. In order to assist in understanding of thedisclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure suggests seventypes of package, 0—unspecified, 1—Basic Video, 2—Basic Audio, 3—RichMedia, 4—ebook, 5—application, 6—Hybrid Package, and suggests the typeof package so as to regulate an additional 249 types of packages.However, the type of packages may be added according to a method ofdiscriminating the MMT package by a producer of the MMT package or aservice provider using the MMT package. Further, if 256 types ofpackages are insufficient, the number of identifiers of the type ofpackages may be increased. Name is a name of the MMT package throughwhich the user may identify the MMT package. Description is a fieldproviding the user with information on the MMT package, and providesinformation on a genre, summary, a provider, or the like, of the MMTpackage, and may be provided with several languages. AudioLanguage andTextLanguage provide information on an audio language and a textlanguage used in the MMT package, and several languages may be usedtherefor. ParentalRating suggests an age of a user appropriate toconsume the MMT package, and is used for providing information forpreventing users of an age group which are not suitable to consume theMMT package from consuming the MMT package. TargetUserProfile provides aprofile of a user expected to prefer a random MMT package, and may be,for example, an adolescent generation or people living in a specificplace. Required Device Capability is a specification of a user'sterminal recommended in consuming the MMT package indicated by theMPCIT, and may include a codec, a memory, a CPU speed, and a devicescreen size. List of Assets provides information on the asset composingthe MMT package indicated by the MPCIT. List of Assets has sub elementsof Asset ID and MACIT Info. Asset ID is identifiers of the assetscomposing the MMT package. MACIT INFO is information on the MACITcorresponding to the assets. The MACIT will be described in detail inTable 3. Information provided in MACIT INFO may be an MACIT identifierand MACIT transmission information. PrivateExt and <ProprietaryElements>are elements used when a business operator, an MMT packageproducing company, or a producer producing the MPCIT desires to providepredetermined information.

Table 3 represents the composition of the MACIT.

TABLE 3 Name Description Data Type MACIT MMT Asset Configurationinformation id ID of MACIT version Version of MACIT The newer versionoverrides the older one as soon as it has been received. MACIT MACITtransmission information having StartTime or Transmission infoRetransmission Period StartTime Starting Time of MACIT TransmissionRetransmission Retransmission time of MACIT Period MMT Asset ID Theglobally unique identifier identifying MMT Asset Asset Type Allowedvalues are: 0 - unspecified 1 - Basic Video 2 - Basic Audio 3 - RichMedia 4 - ebook 5 - application 6- text 7- HTML 8 - 255 reserved forfuture use Name Name of the asset Description Description, possibly inmultiple languages AudioLanguage Audio language used in assetTextLanguage Textual language used in asset ParentalRating TheParentalRating of assete TargetUserProfile Profile attributes of theusers whom the asset is targeting at Required Device Required deviceCapability for asset consumption Capability List of component List ofcomponent which belongs to an Asset It has Asset ID and MACIT info.Component INFO Information of component in asset PrivateExt An elementserving as a container for proprietary or application-specificextensions <proprietary Proprietary or application-specific elementsthat are not elements> defined in here

The MACIT is a table providing the composition information on the MMTasset. The information provided in the MACIT is information on the MACITitself and composition information on the MMT asset. The information onthe MACIT itself is an identifier (ID) of the MACIT, a version of theMACIT, and transmission information on the MACIT (MACIT TransmissionInfo). The identifier of the MACIT is an identifier of the MACIT and maybe a globally unique identifier, may be unique only within a range of aprovider providing the MACIT, or may be unique only within atransmission network. That is, a range of the validity of the MACIT maybe determined according to the purpose of the use of the MACIT. MACITTransmission Info provides information necessary for delivering theMACIT, and has two sub elements of StartTime and Retransmission.StartTime provides an initial transmission time of the MACIT.Retransmission period notifies of a period with an interval of thetransmission of the MACIT from the initial transmission time indicatedby StartTime to notify of information on a time at which a device isscheduled to receive the MACIT.

The composition information on the MMT asset includes an identifier, atype, a name, a description, voice information, and text information ofthe asset, viewer protection, target user information, information onrequirements of a terminal necessary for consuming the MMT asset, andinformation on components composing the MMT asset. The MMT asset mayinclude a single multimedia component, and may include a plurality ofmultimedia components. An example of the asset including the singlemultimedia component includes a video asset, an audio asset, a textasset, a figure asset. An example of the asset including the pluralityof multimedia components includes a basic image (basic layer) and anadditional image (enhanced layer) of video contents generated byScalable Video Coding (SVC), a plurality of audio sets including severallanguages, and one page, such as a web page, including severalmultimedia sources, or the like.

MMT AssetID is an identifier of the MMT asset of which the compositioninformation is provided by the MACIT. MMP AssetID may be allocated by aproducer of the asset, or may also be allocated by a service providerusing the asset. Further, a range of validity of MMT AssetID may beglobally unique, and may be unique for each region or each serviceprovider. In the present disclosure, a system for allocating anidentifier is not specifically suggested, but an identifier using arandom method capable of identifying the MMT asset may also be providedthrough MMP AssetID.

AssetType notifies of the type of asset from a point of view of acontent, a service, or a package. In order to help understanding, theembodiment of the present disclosure suggests eight types of asset,0—unspecified, 1—Basic Video, 2—Basic Audio, 3—Rich Media, 4—ebook,5—application, 6—text, 7—HTML, and suggests the type of package so as toregulate additional 248 types of assets. However, the type of asset maybe added according to a method of discriminating the asset by a producerof the asset or a service provider using the asset. Further, if 256types of assets are insufficient, the number of identifiers of the typesof assets may be increased. Name is a name of the asset within the MMTpackage through which the user may identify the MMT asset. Descriptionis a field providing the user with information on the asset, andprovides information on a format, a genre, summary, a provider, or thelike, of the asset, and may be provided with several languages.AudioLanguage and TextLanguage provide information on an audio languageand a text language used in the asset, and several languages may be usedtherefor. ParentalRating suggests an age of a user appropriate toconsume the asset, and is used for providing information for preventingusers of an age group, which are not suitable to consume the asset, fromconsuming the corresponding asset. TargetUserProfile provides a profileof a user expected to prefer a random MMT asset, and may be, forexample, an adolescent generation or people living in a specific place.Required Device Capability is a specification of a device recommended inconsuming the MMT asset indicated by the MACIT, and may include a codec,a memory, a CPU speed, and a device screen size. List of Assets providesinformation on multimedia components composing the MMT asset indicatedby the MPCIT. Component Info is a field providing substantialinformation on the multimedia components, and may include a name, aform, and a type of the component, information necessary at a componentlevel which is a specification necessary for reproducing the component,or the like. PrivateExt and <Proprietary Elements> are elements usedwhen a business operator, an MMT asset producing company, or a producerproducing the MACIT desires to provide predetermined information.

Table 4 represents the composition of the MAIT.

TABLE 4 Name Description Data Type MAIT MMT Access Information Table idID of MAIT version Version of MAIT MAIT MAIT transmission informationhaving StartTime or Retransmission Transmission Period info StartTimeStarting Time of MAIT Transmission Retransmission Retransmission time ofMAIT Period List of List of Packages or Assets that a client can accessthrough the Packages information of MAIT or Assets AccessType Definesthe type of access. Contains the following elements: BroadcastDeliveryUnicastDelivery HybridDelivery BroadcastDelivery It is used for theindication of Broadcast Network. It contains Network Type andSessionDescription NetworkType Type of network It has the followinginformation: Type Version Type Type of network, possible values: 0 -Broadcasting network such as DVB-T, ISDT-T, ATSC 1- Mobile Broadcastnetwork such as DVB NGH, DMB, and so on 2 -255 reserved for future useVersion Version of network SessionDescription Information about SessionDescription for Broadcast Network UnicastDelivery It is used for theindication of Unicast Network It has the information of Network type,AccessURL and SessionDescription type Specifies transport mechanism thatis used for this access 0 - MMT D 1 - HTTP 2- RTP 3-255 Reserved forfuture use AccessURL URL which the client can use to construct the URLto receive MMT Package or Asset SessionDescription Information aboutSession Description for Unicast Network Hybrid Information of hybridnetwork Access It has the following Elements: info Broadcast UnicastBroadcast BroadcastNetwork Information and Package/Asset list UnicastUnicastNetwork Information and Package/Asset List DCAS Information ofDownloadable CAS system system DCAS Type Identifies D- CAS type Possiblevalues: 0 - 255 To be defined DCASServer Address of DCAS server where aclient get certificated Address PrivateExt An element serving as acontainer for proprietary or application- specific extensions<proprietary Proprietary or application-specific elements that are notdefined in elements> this specification These elements may furthercontain sub-elements or attributes.

The MAIT is a table providing information through which the MMT packageand asset are obtainable. The MAIT provides information on the MAITitself and access information on a network through which the MMT packageand asset are provided. The information on the MAIT itself includes anidentifier (ID) of the MAIT, a version of the MAIT, and transmissioninformation on the MAIT (MAIT Transmission Info). The identifier of theMAIT may be a globally unique identifier, may be unique only within arange of a provider providing the MAIT, and may be unique only within atransmission network. That is, a range of the validity of the MAIT maybe determined according to the purpose of the use of the MAIT. MAITTransmission Info provides information necessary for delivering theMAIT, and has two sub elements of StartTime and Retransmission.StartTime provides an initial transmission time of the MAIT.Retransmission period notifies of a period with an interval of thetransmission of the MAIT from the initial transmission time indicated byStartTime to notify of information on a time at which a device isscheduled to receive the MAIT. List of Packages or Assets notifies ofthe MMT packages and assets accessible through the MAIT. One MAIT mayprovide access information on one MMT package or asset, and may provideaccess information on a plurality of MMT packages or assets. In a casewhere one MAIT provides the access information on the plurality of MMTpackages or assets, the MAIT may be used in order to prevent the MAITfrom being duplicately provided when one service provider provides theplurality of MMT packages or assets.

AccessType provides information on a type for an access to the MMTpackage or asset suggested in List of Packages or Assets, and mayinclude three types, BroadcastDelivery, UinicastDeliver, andHybridDelivery. BroadcastDelivery is a case where the MMT package orasset is delivered through the broadcast channel, and provides the typeof network (Network Type) and SessionDescription which is information ona session that is a logic path through which the MMT package or asset isdelivered as additional information. NetworkType notifies of a usednetwork among broadcast dedicated networks (for example, AdvancedTelevision System Committee (ATSC) that is the US terrestrialbroadcasting standard, Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) that is theEuropean terrestrial broadcasting standard, and Integrated ServicesDigital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) that is the Japaneseterrestrial broadcasting standard), and a version of the broadcastnetwork. Further, even in a case where the MMT package or asset isdelivered through a portable broadcast network (for example, DVB-NGH,ISDB T2, ATSC M/H, and CMMB), information on the type and a version ofthe portable broadcast network is provided. In addition to the broadcastnetwork or the portable broadcast network, information on a satellitebroadcast network or other broadcasting dedicated networks may be added.SessionDescription is used when information on the broadcast network,other than the physical layer, is provided. In a case of the IP-basedbroadcast network, the information may be provided by using the SessionDescription Protocol (SDP) method defined in the IETF, or informationnecessary for access to the MMT package or assets may be provided by amethod defined in each broadcasting standard organization.

UnicastDelivery in AccessType provides the type of network through whichaccess to the MMT package or asset is available. AccessURL provides anaddress of a server. SessionDescription is information on a session thatis a logic path between the server and a client. A role ofSessionDescription is the same as SessionDescription described inBroadcastDelivery. The server may recognize information on a protocoldelivering the MMT package or asset through the type of UnicastDelivery.The protocol may include the protocol of MMT D.2 defined in the MMTstandard, HTTP, RTP, FTP, or the like. Access URL provides an address ofa server from which the MMT package or asset is obtainable through aunicast network.

Hybrid Access Info provides access information for a case where the MMTpackage or asset is delivered through a hybrid network environment. Thehybrid network environment means an environment in which at least twoheterogeneous networks are used for delivering the MMT package or asset.HybridAccessInfo has two sub elements of Broadcast and Unicast.Broadcast provides information on a broadcast network from among thehybrid networks and information on the MMT package or asset deliveredthrough the broadcast network by using BroadcastDelivery. Unicastprovides information on a unicast network among the hybrid networks andinformation on the MMT package or asset delivered through the unicastnetwork by using the form of UnicastDelivery.

One of the pieces of information provided by the MAIT is related to aDownloadable Conditional Access System (DCAS). The DCAS refers to a CASwhich is not mounted on a terminal, but is downloaded for use ifnecessary. The CAS is typically directly mounted on a terminal, but maybe downloaded by an efficient method capable of supporting various CASsolutions. The DCAS solution itself does not belong to the scope of thepresent disclosure, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.In the present disclosure, a method of providing information on the DCASthrough the MAIT when the DCAS is used in the MMT system is described.DCAS has sub elements of DCAS Type and DCASServerAddress. DCAS Typenotifies of the type of CAS solution, and DCAServerAddress notifies ofan address of a server from which the CAS solution and necessarysecurity materials are receivable. PrivateExt and <Proprietary Elements>are elements used when a business operator, an MMT asset producingcompany, or a producer producing the MAIT desires to providepredetermined information.

TABLE 5 Name Description Data Type DCIT Device Capability InformationTable Contains the following elements: Video Audio DownloadFile RichMedia id ID of DCIT version Version of DCIT DCIT DCIT transmissioninformation having StartTime or Transmission Retransmission Period infoStartTime Starting Time of DCIT Transmission RetransmissionRetransmission time of dcIT Period List of List of Package or Asset thatrecommend the Package or capabilities in DCIT Asset Video Video codeccapability related requirements Contains the following elements:MIMEType, CODEC and Complexity Complexity MIMEType MIME Media type ofthe video If the complexities that can be derived from the MIMETypeelement and the codec parameters below differ from the parametersdefined under the ‘Complexity’ element below, then the parametersdefined under the ‘Complexity’ element SHALL take priority. Contains thefollowing attribute: codec codec The codec parameters for the associatedMIME Media type If the MIME type definition specifies mandatoryparameters, these MUST be included in this string. Optional parameterscontaining information that can be used to determine as to whether theterminal can make use of the media SHOULD be included in the string.Complexity The complexity the video decoder has to deal with It isRECOMMENDED that this element is included if the complexity indicated bythe MIME type and codec parameters differs from the actual complexity.Contains the following elements: Bitrate Resolution MinimumBufferSizeBitrate The total bit-rate of the video stream Contains the followingattributes: average maximum average The average bit-rate in kbit/smaximum The maximum bit-rate in kbit/s Resolution The resolution of thevideo Contains the following attributes: horizontal vertical temporalhorizontal The horizontal resolution of the video in pixels vertical Thevertical resolution of the video in pixels temporal The maximum temporalresolution in frames per second. MinimumBufferSize The minimum decoderbuffer size needed to process the video content in kbytes Audio Theaudio codec capability Contains the following elements: MIMETypeComplexity MIMEType MIME Media type of the audio If the complexitiesthat can be derived from the MIMEType element and the codec parametersbelow differ from the parameters defined under the ‘Complexity’ elementbelow, then the parameters defined under the ‘Complexity’ element SHALLtake priority. Contains the following attribute: codec codec The codecparameters for the associated MIME Media type If the MIME typedefinition specifies mandatory parameters, these MUST be included inthis string. Optional parameters containing information that can be usedto determine as to whether the terminal can make use of the media SHOULDbe included in the string. Complexity The complexity the audio decoderhas to deal with It is RECOMMENDED that this element is included if thecomplexity indicated by the MIME type and codec parameters differs fromthe actual complexity. Contains the following elements: BitrateMinimumBufferSize Bitrate The total bit-rate of the audio streamContains the following attributes: average maximum average The averagebit-rate in kbit/s maximum The maximum bit-rate in kbit/sMinimumBufferSize The minimum decoder buffer size needed to process theaudio content in kbytes DownloadFile The required capability for thedownload files Contains the following elements: MIMEType MIMETypeAssuming a download service consists of a set of files with differentMIME types which together make up the service, the terminal must supportall of these MIME types in order to be able to present the service tothe user. Contains the following attribute: codec codec The codecparameters for the associated MIME Media type If the file's MIME typedefinition specifies mandatory parameters, these MUST be included inthis string. Optional parameters containing information that can be usedto determine as to whether the terminal can make use of the file SHOULDbe included in the string. RichMedia Indicates which RichMedia solutionis used and what the requirement is. PrivateExt An element serving as acontainer for proprietary or application- specific extensions<proprietary Proprietary or application-specific elements that are notdefined in elements> this specification These elements may furthercontain sub-elements or attributes.

The DCIT is a table providing device capability recommended forconsuming the MMT package/asset. The DCIT provides information on theDCIT itself and information necessary for consuming the MMTpackage/asset. The information on the DCIT itself is an identifier (ID)of the DCIT, a version of the DCIT, and transmission information on theDCIT (DCIT Transmission Info). The identifier of the DCIT is anidentifier of the DCIT and may be a globally unique identifier, may beunique only within a range of a provider providing the DCIT, or may beunique only within a transmission network. That is, the range of thevalidity of the DCIT may be determined according to the purpose of theuse of the DCIT. DCIT Transmission Info provides information necessaryfor delivering the DCIT, and has two sub elements of StartTime andRetransmission. StartTime provides an initial transmission time of theDCIT. Retransmission period notifies of a period with an interval of thetransmission of the DCIT from the initial transmission time indicated byStartTime to notify of information on a time at which a device isscheduled to receive the DCIT.

DCIT provides a specification of a device for consuming a video and anaudio, a specification of a device for downloading a file, and aspecification of a device for consuming rich media. The terminal maydetermine whether it is possible to consume the MMT package/assetconforming to the DCIT based on the information provided by the DCIT.List of Package or Asset provides an ID of the MMT package/assetdemanded in the specification of the device provided by the DCIT, or theMACIT providing the configuration information of the MMT package/asset,and the ID of the MACIT.

The specification of the device for a video is basically provided byMIMEType. MIME is an abbreviation of Multipurpose Internet MailExtensions [IETFRFC 822, 2822, 5322] and is a technology capable ofproviding an attribute for multimedia contents. Information provided byMIMEType includes a codec used in a video and profile information on thecodec, but the information may be changed due to a change in a hardwareor a restriction of the system at a time at which the information isactually provided to the user. The changed information is provided by anelement of Complexity. Complexity has sub elements of Bitrate,Resolution, and MinumimBufferSize. Bitrate is information on a bit rateof a video stream, and provides an average bit rate and a maximum bitrate to achieve a smooth operation of a decoder (especially, amemory-related operation). Resolution provides horizontal resolution andvertical resolution of a video with pixels, and provides information ontemporal resolution regarding the number of reproduced frames persecond. MinimumBufferSize means a minimum size of a decoder bufferrequired for handling the video contents. The specification of thedevice for an audio is basically provided by MIMEType. That is,information on the specification of the device for the audio provided byMIMEType includes a codec used in an audio and profile information onthe codec, but the information may be changed due to a change in ahardware or a restriction of the system at a time at which theinformation is actually provided to the user. The changed information isprovided by an element of Complexity. Complexity has sub elements ofBitrate and MinumimBufferSize. Bitrate is information on a bit rate ofan audio stream, and provides an average bit rate and a maximum bit rateto achieve a smooth operation of a decoder (especially, a memory-relatedoperation). MinimumBufferSize means a minimum size of the decoder buffernecessary for handling the audio contents. DownloadFile provides aspecification of a device demanded for the asset and the packageaccording to a file type. Typically, in a service of the file types,multiple multimedia contents are complex. The composition informationmay be provided by MIMEType, and necessary codec information may beseparately provided. RichMedia is a field providing the specification ofthe device for consuming the rich media contents. The rich mediacontents provides a new service experience to the user through aninteraction with the user, and a representative technology thereof isLaSER of the MPEG, BIMS of the 3GPP, and SVG-T of the W3C, and inaddition, includes FLASH of the Adobe company as a non-standardtechnology. The field of RichMedia provides a producing technology ofthe rich media contents and requirements, and may employ the MIMEtechnology. PrivateExt and <Proprietary Elements> are elements used whena business operator or an MMT package producing company, or a producerproducing the DCIT desires to provide predetermined information.

At this point it should be noted that the various embodiments of thepresent disclosure as described above typically involve the processingof input data and the generation of output data to some extent. Thisinput data processing and output data generation may be implemented inhardware or software in combination with hardware. For example, specificelectronic components may be employed in a mobile device or similar orrelated circuitry for implementing the functions associated with thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure as described above.Alternatively, one or more processors operating in accordance withstored instructions may implement the functions associated with thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure as described above. Ifsuch is the case, it is within the scope of the present disclosure thatsuch instructions may be stored on one or more non-transitory processorreadable mediums. Examples of the processor readable mediums includeRead-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetictapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. The processorreadable mediums can also be distributed over network coupled computersystems so that the instructions are stored and executed in adistributed fashion. Also, functional computer programs, instructions,and instruction segments for accomplishing the present disclosure can beeasily construed by programmers skilled in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with referenceto various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for receiving multimedia content ina broadcast system, the apparatus comprising: a receiver configured toreceive a packet according to a moving picture experts group (MPEG)media transport (MMT) protocol, the packet including a packet header anda packet payload, wherein the packet payload comprises a control messagefor a package of the multimedia content; and at least one processorconfigured to process the multimedia content based on the controlmessage, wherein the control message comprises: a message type fieldincluding information on a type of the control message, a length fieldincluding information on a length of the control message, an extensiveinformation field including identifier information indicating anidentifier of a first table in a payload field of the control messageand version information indicating a version of the first table, and thepayload field including the first table, wherein the first tableprovides information on a second table, and the first table comprisesfirst location information providing a first location of the secondtable, the identifier information indicating the identifier of the firsttable and the version information indicating the version of the firsttable, and wherein the second table provides information for consumingthe package, and the second table comprises a list of assets related tothe package.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first tablefurther comprises identifier information of the second table and versioninformation of the second table.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first location information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP)address and an IP port.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firsttable further comprises second location information providing a secondlocation of the second table which is an alternative to the firstlocation.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second table furthercomprises identifier information of the second table and versioninformation of the second table.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe second table further comprises third location information forproviding location information of assets of the list of assets.